What We Did on Our Holidays
}} What We Did on Our Holidays (released as Fairport Convention in the United States) is the 1969 second album by the band Fairport Convention. It was their first album to feature singer-songwriter Sandy Denny, whose "haunting, ethereal vocals gave Fairport a big boost", according to Richie Unterberger. The album also showed a move towards the folk rock for which they became noted, including tracks later to become perennial favourites such as "Fotheringay" and the song traditionally used to close live concerts, "Meet on the Ledge". History Following the departure of Judy Dyble, the band conducted auditions for a replacement singer, and Sandy Denny became the obvious choice. Simon Nicol has said "it was a one horse race really...she stood out like a clean glass in a sink full of dirty dishes". The album has been described by author Richie Unterberger as "a near-ideal balance between imaginative reworkings of traditional folk songs ... quality covers of contemporary folk-rock singer-songwriters, some quite obscure ... and original folk-rock material by various members". Simon Nicol has cited the album as his favourite. The cover features a sketch of the band performing, described in the album credits as "from a blackboard assaulted by Fairport Convention"Liner notes and the reverse of the original sleeve a photograph of the band performing. The Island Masters 1990 re-release IMCD 97 also features a portrait of Sandy Denny. In the USA, the album was released by A&M Records (SP-4185), containing an identical track listing but featured new cover art, and was retitled Fairport Convention. In 2008 Four Men With Beards released a 180 gram version of the album that is being distributed by City Hall Records. Reception and influence | rev2 = Rolling Stone | rev2Score = (favourable) | rev3 = The Village Voice | rev3Score = }} In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, American critic Robert Christgau deemed Fairport Convention the "most interesting unknown group" he had listened to in some time, highlighting their take on "Pentangle-style ballads" and Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It with Mine". Neal Casal, of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, later listed What We Did on Our Holidays as one of his favourite albums of all time. Track listing Personnel Fairport Convention * Sandy Denny (as Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny) – vocals, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, organ, piano, harpsichord * Iain Matthews – vocals, congas * Richard Thompson – electric, acoustic & 12-string acoustic guitars, piano accordion, sitar on "Book Song"http://archive.richardthompson-music.com/QAgeartunings.asp (uncredited), vocals * Ashley Hutchings – bass, backing vocals * Simon Nicol – electric & acoustic guitars, electric autoharp, electric dulcimer, backing vocals * Martin Lamble – drums, percussion, violin, tabla & footsteps Additional personnel * Bruce Lacey & his robots on "Mr. Lacey" * Claire Lowther – cello on "Book Song" * Kingsley Abbott – coins on "The Lord Is in This Place...," backing vocals on "Meet on the Ledge" * Paul Ghosh, Andrew Horvitch & Marc Ellington – backing vocals on "Meet on the Ledge" * Peter Ross – harmonica on "Throwaway Street Puzzle" Production and other credits *Recorded at Sound Techniques, London and Olympic Studio No. 1, London (except "The Lord Is in This Place..." recorded at St. Peter's Church, Westbourne Grove, West London). Further work recorded at Morgan Studios, London *Engineered by John Wood, Sound Techniques, London *Photography by Richard Bennett Zeff & Annie Brown *Design by Diogenic Attempts Ltd. References Category:1969 albums Category:Fairport Convention albums Category:Island Records albums Category:Albums produced by Joe Boyd Category:A&M Records albums Category:Hannibal Records albums